The tension has been building, can you feel it?
Now it's time to let everything fall to pieces, just like any good
story should.
WARNING! DANGER! DANGER, Will Robinson!
*Dub names are being used, and are being borrowed from Together
Again, but I promise I'll give em back!
*Violence and language in this puppy, so let me just paste this
PG-13 on its bad self.
*And the true horror of all of this? Original characters. Oh yeah, being
afraid is a natural reflex.
All comments on this story would be much appreciated, except the ones
that say, "Bastion, you need help and medical attention."
That's when I'll chewy through my straitjacket and get you!
Dedication, dedication, it's time to dedicate!
This dedication goes to Matt Johnston for helping me out a very great deal
on this part. This is so good because of him.
Are. You. Ready?
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Terrible Things To Waste
Part 6: Relevation
A sparkle of enjoyment flashed in the General's eyes as he
levitated the young man off the floor. The young man clawed
desperately at his throat, kicking his legs in a frenzy to find
the ground. The General withheld a chuckle.
"Are you going to fulfill your duty or not, Cindy?"
Cindy met the General's crazed stare bravely as she gripped the
shoulders of the young child, Reenie. She tried to remain calm
in face of it all, and the child's pleading gaze didn't make her
decision any easier.
Cindy couldn't hand over Reenie to Halebit; that was the last
thing she wanted to do. The blonde glanced at the ruby bracelet
on her wrist. She still had a slight chance of defeating him,
if she could catch him off guard. But, would that do more harm
than good?
She made a quick survey of the room, noting the two cats, Luna
and Artemis, still struggling against Halebit's unseen
confinements. Then there were Chad and Mina, both sprawled on
the floor, unconscious, their bodies recovering from Halebit's
initial attack. Finally, she beheld the levitated young man
struggling for his life.
Was this boy's life, or anyone else's for that matter, worth
more than Serena's trust?
The strained gasps from the young man forced her to decide.
She slowly raised her view toward the piercing eyes of the
General, "Okay, Halebit, you win. . . but please let him go."
Halebit's icy expression contorted into a mocking smile as he
mused, "And why should I?"
As the phantom grip on Ken's throat tightened, he calculated
how long it would take for his head to explode. Before
Halebit's hand could squeeze shut, the voice of his subconscious
awoke in his mind.
'Yes, show her you're greater.' Nihil tempted.
Halebit closed his eyes, determine to defy its lure.
"Halebit?" Cindy anticipated the worst as everyone in the room
held their breath.
'Show them all, you're greater.' Nihil continued.
"NO!" Luna screeched under the strain.
Halebit could feel fury engulf his being, melting away his
control.
'Show them all they are weak!' Nihil screams echoed.
Halebit's eyes shot open and he wanted to explode in a burst of
angst. Yet, he found himself being stared at by all in the
room. Did they see him lose his control? Did they see his
weakness? No, they couldn't have. He wasn't weak. He didn't
need to prove it to these simpletons.
Halebit relaxed his hand. "Fine, let's leave this place now."
Ken fell to the floor.
Cindy breathed a sigh of relief as she ushered the girl out the
room.
"Wait," Halebit stopped the two as he turned to the two
felines. "I need to deliver a message before we leave..."
----------------------------------------------------------
At first, Serena found herself swimming in the blankness of her
mind.
'What happened? I remember something with lightning and water
and......'
A warm, stinging sensation then invaded Serena's limbs. The
wetness surrounding her doing nothing to sooth the sharp jabs of
pain now electrifying her body.
'That robot. Yes, that's right.'
Serena could barely make out a sound. Random sounds with no
image; the prospect haunted her. She wanted out, and called to
her friends.
Nothing happened, no sound.
She struggled more feverishly to speak.
Still nothing.
Fortunately, as she struggled, the distortions sluggishly
became more structured.
"Guame te trystle."
'Huh?'
Light crept into Serena's vision. Relief replaced fear, and
Serena heard it once more.
"Gift may tee crastle."
She looked toward the source. Her mind could barely
distinguish the large steel figure approaching her.
"Malance. . . "
"Give me the crystal." He ordered flatly.
Serena could make out other fuzzy figures around her. Shaking
her head, she cleared her vision. The figures solidified into
bodies, that resembled the. . . the, "Scouts."
Her sights rested upon the limp body of her love.
"Darien?"
No response.
The figure stood just a few feet away, aiming an arm with no
hand at her.
"You *will* give me the Crystal," Malance repeated in the same
flat tone.
Serena tried to get her wits about herself, struggling to
remember one of her attack phrases. She wasn't the whiny child
she used to be. She was. . . .
"I am Sailor Moon!" Serena leapt to her feet, but the world
swirled around her. Her head throbbed from the spinning and her
limbs lost their desire to stand. The combination proved too
much for Serena and her body crashed back to the ground.
Serena found herself staring into the deathly abyss of
Malance's cannon, "I am victorious! Now, give me the Crystal."
"Never," she mumbled incoherently.
The throbbing in her mind spread. Serena used all her strength
to lift her head.
"So weak," Malance chuckled as he readied his cannon, "So weak
to deny me."
"DEAD SCREAM!!"
The tightly concentrated sonic boom ripped into Malance,
sending him toward the stairs. The Time Guardian approached the
metallic aggressor while grinning with satisfaction at her
handywork.
Malance's visor flash with activity, "Warning. Damage:
Critical."
Malance stumbled to his feet, and saw, to his horror, all eight
girls converging upon him.
He had to reciprocate immediately. "Insects!"
"Visual systems failure in five seconds. Battery power low."
Malance aimed his cannon at the Time Guardian, and snarled.
"Shutdown imminent."
"ICE STORM BLAST!!" A blast of frost quickly condensed upon
Malance's cannon.
The metal of the cannon creaked and groaned before exploding
into useless shards.
"CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!!" An inferno blazed a trail onto
Malance, engulfing him in a sea of fire.
"Excessive heat, main powe-" Blackness welcomed Malance.
"WORLD SHAKING!!!" The crunching of concrete warned Malance of
the oncoming attack, but he still reeled from the earlier
attacks.
Malance felt a ball of energy slam into his body, ripping open
his severely damaged frame. He breathed in sharply when the
cool night air came in contact with his exposed flesh. He
shivered, and dread of death overcame him.
'Escape,' Malance's mind raced. 'I must escape.'
Malance blindly grope the nearby wall looking for any retreat,
and felt a sudden sense of relief as he found the open doorway
to the stairs. He snapped open the visor to see Tracer waiting
at the top of the stairs with his shotgun in hand.
"Goin' somewhere?" Tracer pulled the trigger and blasted
Malance's knee. "It's payback time."
Malance groaned and fell to one knee. Clutching his knee with
trembling hands, he tried in vain to stop the silvery flow of
blood. Tracer felt a rush of excitement as he slammed the butt
of his gun into Malance's exposed face. Bone cracked.
"I remember when I was in such a position. You remember, don't
you?" Tracer displayed the scar along the right side of his
face. "I had blood running down my face, and you laughed."
"You like blood on your face, huh, Malance?" Tracer taunted.
His opponent garbled a groan.
"Yeah, I hated it too." Tracer smirked as he readied his
shotgun to give the finishing blow.
Across the way, the Scouts gathered together near Pluto, ready
for another attack. They reminded her of soldiers awaiting
their leader's instruction, swept up in the moment of battle.
Nature's forces in their hands to call upon at their whim. All
of them attentive to Pluto's direction.
"We must eliminate the enemy with one bold stroke!" She
announced, gesturing toward the Travellers near the stairs.
"DEAD SCREAM!!"
"WORLD SHAKING!!!"
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"ICE STORM BLAST!!"
"CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!!"
"THUNDERCLAP ZAP!!"
"SILENT GLAIVE SURPRISE!"
Each attack mingled with the other. Wind, water, fire, ice,
lightning, and life all magically congealed into a destructive
sphere of energy. Its tremendous glow awed Sailor Moon as it
barreled its way toward the two combatants.
"No," she whispered.
A tear rolled down her face.
----------------------------------------------------
Tracer had been fortunate to be facing the projectile as it
came toward them. Its roar sang the tune of death to anyone,
anything in its path. The hair on his body stood, reacting
toward the genesis of nature's raw elements. He only had a
split second to react. The world around him seemed to go in
slow motion as he rolled away. The pungency of burning flesh
overtook Tracer's nose, a reminder of the poor soul unable to
escape.
Craning his neck, he could see his opponent's deteriorating
face, eyes hinting anger. But he could also sense something
else. Possibly regret?
'It's too late to regret now, you bastard.' Tracer watched
with satisfaction as Malance fell into the chasm of stairs.
As the world returned to normal speed, Tracer faced eight
determined magical girls on the offensive.
They destroyed his toughest enemy.
They barely broke a sweat.
And they were searching for their next victim.
He could only do one thing when faced with such impossible odds.
"I surrender," Tracer raised his hands over his head, and
discreetly slipped his shotgun into the holster on his back.
Everyone blinked.
"What? No vows of destruction and death? No insults? No
way." Raye's lips curled in disbelief. "You'll have to do
better than that."
Tracer stood in deathlike silence, his hands still raised. The
girls tensed their muscles in anticipation for the Traveller's
next move.
Tracer's gut tightened, and silence gnawed at his sanity. The
distant sounds of the city provided a small distraction from the
churning within. The groaning of the young man in the
ridiculous tuxedo costume finally snapped the silence.
"What happened, Serena?" He murmured.
Sailor Moon knelt next to her prince, and smiled despite her
tears.
"Shhh," Sailor Moon placed a finger on the young man's lips,
"Everything's okay."
Another tear streaked Sailor Moon's cheek as she gazed at her
love. There had been enough pain and death already.
"It's time this ended. Please leave us and this dimension,
Traveller."
Pluto stepped forward to further punctuate Serena's request.
"Now."
Keeping his hands held high, Tracer lowered his head and
chuckled. "As much as I would love to get out of this
Lord-forsaken dimension, I'm afraid I can't do that. I have a
vendetta to fulfill."
"You'll have to go through us to get Cindy," shouted Lita.
"Cindy?" Tracer chuckled once more as he rested his hands on
his head. "She told you I was after her? Why am I not
surprised?"
"What is it that you find so humorous, Traveller?" Pluto
narrowed her eyes.
'Very powerful and very gullible,' Tracer smirked and held his
breath, letting the throbs of his injuries subside. "Contrary
to whatever she told you, I'm not after her."
Michelle winced as the Traveller's words stabbed her heart
relentlessly. The fact he seemed to be revelling in it just
added salt to the wound.
But her fury lacerated the wound and seethed through her,
pushing her to erupt in a tantrum of rage.
'That son of a-'
"Just what is it," Michelle stepped forward, doing well in
calming her outrage. "You are insinuating?"
"I'm only going to say this once," Tracer grinned as he
arrogantly clicked his tongue. "She *lied* to you."
'This stupid jerk has some freakin' nerve,' Erica resisted the
urge to carve the Traveller into pieces with her scimitar,
deciding instead to jump out from the crowd. "Why in hell
should we trust you?"
Tracer's grin fell. "Because it's the truth."
A scowl eclipsed Erica's features. His arrogance strained her
self control. She briefly contemplated giving in to her urges
before a small hand firmly gripped her shoulder. She only had
to glance at the slender fingers to know they belonged to her
lover.
"Cooler heads prevail, Eric," Michelle breathed into Erica's
ear.
Amy glanced the the others with concern, starting with the
usually calm Sailor Pluto. Her tensed knuckles clutching her
staff spoke a quiet testament to the agitation Amy knew she
endured.
Amy's eyes shifted to the corners of Raye's trembling mouth,
wanting to speak what her mind had to say. Then, her eyes
darted to Lita's twitching fingers driven by instinct,
tantalized by the inevitable battle to come. Finally, her eyes
drifted to little Victoria standing aloof, holding her glaive
absently, and waiting for some direction from Pluto.
When none came, she glanced toward her guardians. Michelle and
Erica, however, offered no comfort.
Serena still knelt next to Darien, stroking his cheek,
oblivious to everything uttered by the Traveller.
Amy knew that the role rested on her, and her alone.
Mustering her courage, Amy cleared her throat. "If you are, by
chance, telling the truth, who is it you are really pursuing?"
Tracer sneered. "Halebit. The bastard who betrayed me by
leading the Society."
Pluto's lips pursed; her eyes became narrow slits. "Really."
"Really." Tracer's reply bit with venomous intent.
Tracer could tell he had overstayed his welcome, and there was
no telling how long it would take before they decided to blast
him to hell. He winced in memory of the earlier attack that
nearly sent him down the stairway;
'And that was just one of them.'
"As much as I'd like to continue this pleasant conversation,"
the Timelord took a step back onto the edge of the roof. "I
have an appointment with an old friend."
"Now hold up one minute," Raye screamed, much to Amy's
chagrin. "You're not going or doing anything! You're going to
leave this. . . this dimension NOW!"
"Um, Mars, I think-"
"I don't think so." Tracer turned his back to them, eyeing a
car just below.
Serena closed her eyes.
"Wait, we can-" A soft beeping sound distracted Amy.
"Over my dead body!" Raye shouted back.
Serena covered her ears with her hands.
Amy pulled out her compact computer, and answered the signal.
"Is that a promise?" Tracer flexed his right hand.
Tears streaked Serena's cheeks.
Amy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Oh yeah, scum bag." Raye clasped her hands together.
"Stop this!" Serena jumped to her feet, "There will be no more
fighting tonight. I'll tell you again, Traveller, please leave
Cindy and us alone. She isn't lying to us and-"
"I'm sorry, Sailor Moon," Amy interrupted, swallowing hard, "He
is telling the truth. Cindy has. . . Cindy has kidnapped
Reenie."
Serena's mouth suddenly dried, "H-how?"
Amy's voice detached as Luna feed her the news, "An old man
claiming to be Cindy's superior, caught Sailor Venus by
surprise. And he's-"
"They want the Silver Crystal as ransom." Tracer regarded the
street below with a spiteful stare. 'Damn you Halebit, damn you
to hell. . '
"-yes, at the old Toke factory."
Michelle's hand tightened painfully on Erica's shoulder at the
news.
Fortunately, Erica nerves quickly went numb from shock. "How
do you-"
"I know a little history, okay?" Tracer spat.
"No, not okay." Raye strode toward Serena. "All this time, I
was right in my suspicions! I wasn't foolish in having my
doubts! I wasn't out of line when I questioned your authority!"
"Also, Chad and Ken were injured in the attack," Amy reported.
"What?!" Lita lost her composure. "Is he okay?"
"They're not sure."
"Great, just great." Raye sneered while her insides curdled,
'Oh my God, Chad. You fool.'
"No, it can't be," Serena whimpered; she couldn't have failed
them all.
Pluto spoke with her eyes affixed to the black, greasy mop of
hair on the back of the Timelord's head, "Yes it is. I believe
that it's time to start listening to me, your Highness."
"No, Cindy wouldn't do such a thing." Serena stood in
defiance. "I know, I saw it in her eyes."
Serena saw everyone's pained expression, all of them hurt, all
of them betrayed. All because of her.
She shook her head. 'No, my heart couldn't be wrong. Could
it?'
Her desperate glances finally fell upon the black-haired
Traveller, who locked eyes with her once again. Peering into
his brown gaze, it happened all over again. She swam through
the strong currents of his soul, experiencing his longing, his
pain, his desire, all because of. . .
Then she understood.
"You." Serena shook her head, clearing her mind as best she
could. "You understand what I'm talking about."
The words of realization hit her even as she said them.
"You've understood all along, haven't you?"
Her snarl made the other Scouts cringe a little, but they stood
their ground.
Tracer's anger arose like a furnace within him; he knew he
should never have looked back. He should have never met her
gaze. Now she was laying him bare, naked for the others to see.
"No."
"You've seen who she really is," Serena continued undaunted,
her rage welling within her. "You know she cares."
"No." Tracer repeated with greater force, he would not be made
into an oddity by her. "What do *you* know?! Huh, kiddo?!"
Serena matched Tracer's scream with her own. "Why else would
you want her?"
Tracer couldn't take it anymore. "SHUT UP, YOU LORD-FORSAKEN
WHORE! I COULD CARE LESS FOR THAT LYING, CHEATING BASTARD!"
He froze. What had he just done? Now these girls surely would
not hesitate to destroy him. His ragged breath continued at the
thought of the misery they would inflict.
"I suggest," Pluto spoke with reservation, "That you not insult
our Queen again and leave."
"Just like you Time Guardians to call the shots." His fear
fueled his boldness. "I don't fear you. I've fought plenty of
other Time Guardians before, and don't think for a second that
you present me with a challenge."
Pluto remained silent, letting his words bounce off her stony
facade. "Leave, Traveller."
Tracer stepped back. "Gladly."
Before anyone could react, Tracer jumped off the roof. A loud
crunch a moment later sent the girls rushing to the ledge, only
to find an indention the Timelord left on the car below.
The Time Guardian remained still. She let the Traveller's
words saturate her mind. Sobbing rung in the Time Guardian's
ears and her heart sank at the sight before her.
Her Queen had collapsed to her knees, her face the image of
anguish, an innocence lost. The damage had been done, and she
could only watch it happen again.
A single tear dried on her arid cheek.
-End of Part 6-
Author Notes:
Hmmmmm, things are getting a little twisted up now.
Wait til you see the end, heheheheheheh.
As for Toke, well, you're moonies. I think you understand.
Thanks this time:
As always David Johnston, Arilyn, Stephen Courtney, and Lord
Talon for bein' there and helpin' me out.
Sailor Phoenix for pointing out the odd dub names for S.
Sailor Skuld and Andrea for bein' really sweeties and posting
this on their page. I could just kiss you, but I won't jeopardize the
free webspace.
And thanks to my good friend OB-1, cause whenever I think Sailor
Moon, I think OB-1.
And finally, dear readers, it's time to part ways, but I will return someday
somehow, I will return. But until then, celebrate your freedom while
you can!
All original characters are owned and copyrighted by Bastion (c)1999.
And Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi and in America by DIC.
Thanks for reading, and please come again.
Bastion
bastion@ix.netcom.com
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